Diabetes

Americans have a 40% chance of developing diabetes — and Hispanic and Latino people are particularly at risk, with a greater than 50% chance of developing the disease. At Low Cost Health Clinics, a family practice and urgent care practice with seven offices in Anaheim, Riverside, Santa Ana, Corona, Costa Mesa, Cathedral City, and Indio, California, the experienced bilingual (Spanish and English) medical professionals are helping their patients lower those odds and enjoy better health. Call the office in your area or walk into any of the offices for immediate help.

What health problems does diabetes cause?

Diabetes is a long-term disease where the body doesn’t process food and use it for energy correctly. 

Uncontrolled diabetes can affect every organ and system in your body, causing blindness, stroke, heart attack, poor circulation, frequent infections, kidney disease, nerve damage, and other complications. 

People with diabetes can monitor their disease, prevent complications, and stay healthy at Low Cost Health Clinics. 

How does diabetes develop?

You break most food down into glucose (sugar). When that sugar is released into your bloodstream, your pancreas makes insulin — a hormone that helps your cells absorb the sugar and use it for energy. 

People with diabetes don’t make insulin (Type 1 diabetes) or make it but don’t use it well (Type 2 diabetes). In both cases, the result is too-high blood sugar levels that lead to serious health complications.

Type 1 diabetes occurs because the immune system destroys the insulin-producing part of the pancreas. It’s usually diagnosed earlier in life, often during childhood. 

Type 2 diabetes occurs because the body stops using or responding to insulin. Most people who develop Type 2 diabetes struggle with extra weight and don’t exercise regularly. 

Your race can also influence diabetes risk. Hispanic and Latino people have a greater than 50% chance of developing diabetes.  

How is diabetes diagnosed and monitored?

Diabetes diagnosis requires a blood glucose test. Low Cost Health Clinics offer free diabetes screenings twice a year. Because the prevalence of diabetes is so high in the communities they serve, the practice recommends glucose screenings at every office visit. 

After diabetes diagnosis, you need regular monitoring, with blood work every three months to check your hemoglobin A1C levels (a more in-depth glucose test). 

You need yearly electrocardiograms (EKG) to evaluate your heart and comprehensive lab tests twice a year. The practice offers low-cost promotional packages that include these tests for a single low cost.

The practice also recommends annual eye exams with an optometrist and foot exams with a podiatrist. 

What are the treatments for diabetes?

Patient education, weight management, and medication are all available for people with diabetes. Medications are available at the on-site pharmacy.

The practice helps patients become knowledgeable about their disease and empowers them to get healthy and enjoy a good quality of life.

Call Low Cost Health Clinics nearest you. Walk-ins are always available.